The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Wizard
by mslith12
Summary: Abused children often grow up to be timid, brutal or perceptive. The canon gave a timid Harry Potter but what if he was perceptive. Follow Harry as he battles against a dark lord, a master manipulator and a pretty nosey family of redheads.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:- The Harry Potter universe is owned by J.K. Rowling. I just play in this sandbox of hers and own just the plot and the possible future OCs.

* * *

The Dursley family of Number 4 Privet Drive was enjoying a quiet day when Vernon Dursley asked, though it is a relative term, his nephew Harry to fetch the mail. To Harry this was an everyday occurrence but what he didn't know was how wrong he was to consider today ordinary. A letter was waiting for him. It wasn't the usual bills or newsletters but a chance, a chance to escape the "care" of the Dursleys.

When he first saw his name on the letter, he had to clean his glasses and see again to believe his eyes. He secretly stuck the letter inside his pocket and gave the rest to his uncle. Contrary to the beliefs of the Dursleys, his teachers and the neighbors, Harry was not the less than mediocre boy who he seemed to be. He was actually very perceptive for his age and he figured out soon that performing well would get him beaten everyday at the hands of his uncle and cousin Dudley. A letter for him could easily find itself in the fireplace if his uncle saw it.

* * *

 _Flashback_ _:_

 _He was 6 years, running from his cousin and his friends who were enjoying their_ favorite _pass time: Harry_ Hunting, _when he stumbled upon a library occupied by an old man. That man had a white beard long enough to reach his waist and looked old enough to be around the time the Great wall was built. There he found a place where he could always find a safe haven from his cousin. The man, who he grew to call a friend and mentor, showed_ him _various books and techniques to calm and organize his mind in various segments which he had imagined as a house with different rooms for different types of memories. There was a room for happy memories, one for sad memories, one for the memories of Dursleys and so on. This exercise of his improved his memory a hundredfold giving him a nearly perfect recall. Another thing that he realized was that if he ran fast enough Dudley and his friends would soon give up trying to catch him, so naturally, a fitness regime found its way_ in _his daily practices. His improved fitness also resulted in him learning basic_ self-defense _from his mentor_.

* * *

Harry made his way to his cupboard to see who would write to him and why. He picked a pen and paper swiftly in case he needed to respond to the letter. Reading the letter, his mind trailed to times when his family called him a freak and the strange occurrences around him. He figured that either the Dursleys were playing a prank on him or he truly held unimaginable power in his hand. Since his family despised such actions as they were beneath their standing, only one thing made sense, he truly was a wizard.

Harry had already finished all his daily chores so a sudden call from his aunt was not to be feared. He immediately started writing his response. He decided that everyone would expect a clueless boy asking for advice and he was going to give them just that.

Dear Professor McGonagall,

I thank you for the invitation to your school. I, at first, found myself confused regarding the existence of magic. But I do admit that I have noticed strange occurrences happening around me. I request you to send someone to assist me so that I can familiarize myself with the magical world. This will also provide me with a definite proof of the existence of magic.

Thanking you

Harry James Potter

Harry read the letter again to make sure it was perfect. But now he realized he didn't know how to send it. He quietly opened the cupboard's door and went to a window sill. He thought of posting it the normal way but soon dropped the idea realizing it's stupidity. He had the response as well as the acceptance letter in his hand. He suddenly got the idea to put the response in the envelope of the original letter thinking why not? As soon as he had reattached the seal that was in the shape of a crest back to the envelope, an owl came swooping down to the sill and put his leg forward as if asking for the letter. Owls and letters, Harry thought, must be a wizarding tradition. He presented the letter to the owl who snatched it up and flew away as if already knowing where to drop the letter.

Now, the only thing Harry could do was wait. He hoped that the letter reached its destination and that too quickly. He knew this was his chance to a good life. And it would take the Satan himself to keep him down from fighting for it.

* * *

AN:- Read and Review. Update: Fixed the flashback thanks to SkyeMoor.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I, the author, do solemnly swear that I am up to no good and don't own the HP universe.

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was completing her paperwork when she received an owl. She was not surprised to get one as it was expected of muggle parents to have doubts about the magical world. As she read the letter, she immediately knew it was not an ordinary letter. The first thing that surprised her was the one who sent it.

Albus had already told her that the case of Harry Potter was being handled by him but it was clear that the boy knew nothing of their world. The second thing that surprised her was the writing of the letter itself. The handwriting was spectacular, the tone polite and the message clear. Not many could boast this about their writing skills. But Minerva was a fair lady and decided that she was going to answer the letter as if it was written by any other muggleborn family. She wrote her response and started heading towards the owlery.

Harry was preparing the breakfast for the Dursleys when he was sent to retrieve the mail. He was surprised to see a response so soon but reasoned it after magic. He quickly finished all his chores which still took quite some time because of their sheer numbers. He entered his cupboard and started reading.

Dear Mr. Potter,

I must say that I was surprised to receive a letter from you. I was under the impression that you already knew about our world. Nevertheless, I will reach your home on 3rd August at 9 am sharp to explain you the basics of the magic community and escort you to the proper places to obtain your supplies for school. If you have any problems with this, please reply to this letter in the same way as your acceptance letter.

Yours sincerely

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry

Harry was ecstatic. He was going to meet a real magical person in two days and get his own magical supplies. He decided to wait until the last moment to inform his uncle and aunt lest he risked a beating.

It was the morning of 3rd August and Harry was up an hour earlier than his usual time to wake up. He started his chores and was finished with most by 8:45 am. He ran to his cupboard and changed into the best set of clothes that fit him. He saw the time, it was 8:55. He walked to his uncle and cleared his throat, "Uncle, I have recently found that I am a wizard and have called someone to help me understand magic."

As soon as had spoken the word 'wizard', his uncle's head snapped to his face and he rose threateningly and said, "How did you found that out, you little freak?"

"You knew?", Harry asked, confusion laced his voice.

"Of course we knew. We tried to beat it from you but it seems we didn't try hard enough. Well, we will have to remedy that, won't we?" Vernon said angrily. Suddenly the clock chimed and a crack was heard in the front lawn. Vernon quickly pushed Harry in the cupboard and answered the door.

A lady wearing dark green robes stood in the doorway. Her hair was done in a bun. "Good morning, Mr. Dursley I assume. I am Professor Minerva McGonagall and I would like to talk to your nephew. I assume he informed you of my arrival? May I come in by the way?" The lady asked.

"I have no nephew and I don't know what you are talking about. Please leave. I will not have freaks loitering on my lawn." Vernon exclaimed while trying to shut the door.

Minerva McGonagall was many things but not blind when it came to a family not accepting their child's magical ability. She held her wand threateningly and stepped into the house. Inside Petunia and Dudley Dursley were having breakfast but Minerva could find anyone remotely resembling one of her most favorite students, James Potter.

"See no one here. Now if you will."Vernon exclaimed. Minerva quickly spoke "Homenium Revelio". A light shone inside the cupboard. "Who's inside Dursley?" she asked in a no-nonsense way.

Vernon kept quiet so she walked to the cupboard and cast "Alohomora". The cupboard's door swung open to reveal a thin child with a lightning scar on his forehead. "Are you Harry Potter?" Harry nodded. "Come out. No one will hurt you. I will make sure of that." Harry made his way out of the cupboard and showed McGonagall the way to the living room.

They made their way to the room and sat on the sofa, though Harry sat reluctantly. "So Mr. Potter first let me welcome you to the magical world. Now I am sure you will have many questions regarding it and I will try my best to answer them."

* * *

Now Mr. Potter any more questions?"

"Yes ma'am, just one, what are the limitations of magic, I mean is there something it can't do?" Harry asked in a curious tone.

"I am impressed Mr. Potter, not many have such a mindset regarding magic. To answer your question, yes there are limitations to magic. It cannot raise the dead though it can prolong life. The dead may be animated using dark arts but such practices are heavily frowned upon. We also cannot create life though animation still helps here. But anything else is possible. We can make someone extremely lucky, conjure things or even change someone's body though that trait is rare." McGonagall answered while Harry perked up at that part; he had always wanted to hide his scar.

"Professor, when you said change someone's body, what is the extent of such transformations?" Harry asked.

"It depends, Mr. Potter. Most wizards can make small changes like changing the color of their skin or vanishing acne, but few wizards do have the ability to make complex changes like growing their hair or changing their face." McGonagall said hoping she didn't break the child's heart.

"I have done that, I once grew my hair when Aunt Petunia cut it really short." Harry exclaimed.

"Mr. Potter are you serious? Because you may be a metamorphmagus. Well you are full of surprises. But enough talk, we have to get your supplies and most importantly your wand."

"A wand professor?" Harry asked curiously.

"Yes Mr. Potter, most magic users require a focus, so to speak, for their magic. A wand acts as one. Some who study wand lore even say they have minds of their own. So let's begin your magical journey Mr. Potter. But first, we will have to pick up another young witch like you. She also needs to get her supplies. One Miss Hermione Jean Granger."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The author of this fic owns no part of the HP universe and only owns the plot of the fic.

* * *

Harry and Professor McGonagall stood outside the Granger residence. They walked up to the door and rang the bell. "Coming", a shout was heard. The door opened to reveal a woman in her mid-thirties. "Professor McGonagall I presume, I am Emma Granger, pleased to meet you, do come in." She said all that in a single breath.

"Good morning Mrs. Granger, yes I am Professor Minerva McGonagall and I have Mr. Potter here with me, he too is a wizard starting Hogwarts just like young Miss Granger" Both she and Harry walked in to find a tastefully decorated home. They were showed the way to the living room where a young girl with bushy hair and a man were already waiting.

"Good morning Professor, I am Dan Granger and here is my daughter Hermione" the man, Dan, said.

"Pleased to meet you Professor" Hermione said in a shy voice.

"Good morning Mr. Granger and you too Miss Granger. I believe you must have many questions for me. I will be happy to answer them. Let me introduce you to Harry Potter, he is also starting Hogwarts with you Miss Granger."

The next half an hour felt like a déjà vu to Harry. When the time came to leave, his excitement knew no bounds. He was finally going to see the magical world for himself. They traveled across London and came upon an old looking pub. It had a pot hanging from the door and on the top bright letter hung saying 'The Leaky Cauldron'. They entered and were greeted by the barman who introduced himself as Tom saying, "Hello professor, a fine day today. What can I get you?"

"Nothing right now Tom, I am on business. These two have to get their Hogwarts supplies." McGonagall said quickly.

They made their way inside with difficulty as by now many had started recognizing Harry and wanted to greet him at the least. They reached the entrance,"Now watch you two as you will have to do this a lot" McGonagall said as she tapped a few bricks in some particular pattern with her wand. At the last tap, the bricks shifted to form a doorway for the entrance to,"Welcome to the magical world you two, welcome to Diagon Alley."

Both the kids were awestruck seeing the alley. It didn't matter in which direction they saw, magical items filled their vision. Wizard and witches wearing dark robes scurried around minding their own business. Thankfully McGonagall had transfigured a cap for Harry to hide his scar. They walked for some time before coming to stop at a regal looking building with a dome on top. "Before we begin the shopping we have to get some wizarding money. Now the wizarding currency is somewhat different, there are three types of coins: The golden Galleons, silver Sickles and bronze Knuts. There are 17 sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts to a Sickle. As per the current exchange rate, a Galleon is worth five Great Britain pounds. And where else to get them but the wizarding bank, Gringotts." McGonagall exclaimed.

They walked inside and both the kids noticed the threatening message at the entrance:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

The door was flanked by two creatures who were identified by McGonagall as a goblin to them."Our currency is protected and managed by goblins. You will do well not to try stealing from them and remember to always treat them with respect. You find various creatures in the magical world. Goblins are one such species."

They walked to the nearest free counter, and McGonagall spoke, "Good morning respected teller. We are here because Mr. Potter requires to visit his vault and Miss Granger here has to exchange some muggle currency." The goblin peered over the high counter and watched the trio with interest and said "The exchange can be handled here. The Potter accounts manager will meet you shortly."

They exchanged Hermione's money and moved towards the waiting hall. Five minutes later a regal looking goblin entered the Gringotts hall and walked towards them. They stood up to greet him and McGonagall bowed while the kids followed."Mr. Potter, I am Houndclaw, please follow me." Harry glanced nervously towards McGonagall but complied when she gave him a nod while Hermione gave an encouraging smile.

Harry followed the goblin through corridors and finally came to stop at a noble looking office. They entered it and the goblin sat on a grand yet comfortable looking chair while Harry sat opposite to him."Now Mr. Potter, will you tell me why you haven't been answering any of the letters sent to you by our bank" Houndclaw asked angrily.

"Mails? I did not know about the magical world till a few days back let alone contact with goblins." Harry asked looking confused.

"You mean to tell me Mr. Potter that you haven't received any correspondence from Gringotts, not even monthly bank statements. Where do you think the gold for your care came from?"

Now Harry was seriously confused and asked, "What gold? I have been living off scraps of leftover food from my family, wearing my cousin's hand me downs and you are telling me that I have some gold that could have solved all my problems."

"Not some gold Mr. Potter, you are probably one of the richest person in Great Britain. Your family is very old and also has connections with other noble houses. The withdrawals in the name of your care in another matter. Your magical guardian has been taking enormous amounts of money from your trust vault which is the only vault that he has permission to touch since the family vault is can only be accessed by those with Potter blood and their immediate family members." Houndclaw informed.

"And who is my magical guardian?" Harry asked.

"One Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is your current guardian. He has taken approximately fifty thousand galleons in the name of your care though some has traveled in various accounts of others, particularly the Weasley family. Seeing your ignorance regarding this we will start getting this amount back, with interest." Houndclaw said savagely.

"Could I have the whole record of my account for the past years?" Harry asked knowing it would take him a lot of time to look through them.

"It would take some time seeing the vast wealth of the Potter account but I will have the account ledger sent to you at Hogwarts. Your parents were friends of goblins Mr. Potter, Gringotts will help you in any way it can. We will also organize their will reading which was postponed on Dumbledore's orders."

"Thank you, I would now like to withdraw some money for the Hogwarts supplies."After the withdrawal, Harry bowed to Houndclaw and returned to McGonagall and Hermione who were patiently waiting for him though they were in an animated conversation.

As the trio exited the bank, McGonagall said while pointing toward a shop,"You two go to that bookshop. Its called the Flourish and Blotts. You will find all the required books there. I will go and get your potions equipment."

Both Harry and Hermione made their way to the bookshop and entered. "Welcome to Flourish and Blotts, what can I do for you?" The salesman asked politely.

"We are here for our Hogwarts books. We are starting this year you see." Hermione replied. The salesman nodded and disappeared in the back of the bookshop, returning with two heavy looking stacks of books,"Here you go, anything else?"

Hermione asked for a few moments and turned to Harry, "Can you go and explore the alley a little, Harry? You see I like books and I get a little excited sometimes and go a little overboard. That's the reason I don't have any friends." Hermione had her head bowed down and mumbled the last part but Harry understood it.

"Hermione, that's nothing to be ashamed of. I myself am a bookworm and proud of it. What do you say, shall we scout a little library for us here? And what are you saying about not having friends, you have got me." Harry said gently, understanding the loneliness that Hermione must have felt.

Hearing this, Hermione gave him a nervous smile that could have brightened the darkest day and launched to give him a tight hug. Harry stiffened at the sudden contact but relaxed later and returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. They spent an hour looking for different books and ended up buying ones for each and every topic imaginable including wizarding etiquettes.

They had completed their purchase when McGonagall caught up with them. In her hand was a cage with the most beautiful snowy owl that both the children had ever seen and she said, "Mr. Potter, I believe you had your birthday recently. Well, this is my gift for you. You would need it to make correspondence in the wizarding world."

Harry could only nod and stare at the gift while his eyes shone with happy tears that he tried to hide afterward. McGonagall then led them to Ollivander's to get them their wands. They opened the front door and were greeted by Ollivander rather spookily. "Mr. Potter, I have been waiting for quite some time to get you a wand and who might you be Miss?"

"Hermione Granger, sir." Hermione said respectfully.

"Well let's get started shall we." said Ollivander looking as excited as a little boy who had received new toys to play with.

The next fifteen minutes, the two kids were measured in all possible areas of the body including the length of their noses. Mr. Ollivander decided to get Hermione a wand first saying,"Ladies first". It wasn't long before Hermione found her match: 10" long, made of vine wood, and possessing a dragon heartstring core.

Harry took considerably longer. Every wand he tried resulted in either no reaction or destruction of the shop. After half an hour of wand testing, Mr. Ollivander said,"I wonder" and wandered at the back of the shop.

He returned a few minutes later."Try this Mr. Potter, holly, phoenix feather, 11 inches." Harry held the wand. He felt little tingling and gave a small wave. A shelf shattered and he returned it back. It was not a match.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: If the author of this fic owned the Harry Potter franchise, he would be sitting in his villa having fun. But alas, it does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live while stealing J.K. Rowling's work so to make it clear, I don't own the HP universe.

Mr Ollivander sighed and gently took the wand from Harry's hand and returned it to its place. "Mr Potter it seems you are quite a unique wizard. None of my wands has chosen you. I think we will have to try a different approach. We will have to forge a wand for you. Let's get started shall we." And he wandered to the back of the shop while Harry followed. Harry gasped as the back of the shop came into view. It was filled with hundreds of wooden blocks and numerous jars with different things like feathers and ashes.

"Now Mr Potter I want you to roam around and pick a wooden block. Choose one which seems to call you to itself. Don't worry, you will know the which one is right when you see it." Harry started to wander there and looked at the different woods. Some looked quite rough while some were smooth as marble. He saw one block in the corner, it was covered in dust and was dark brown with ridges at some places. As soon as he touched it, for it seemed to call to him just as he was described, a tingling feeling like earlier but much stronger shot up through his arm. He picked the block and took it to the old wandmaker. As soon as Ollivander saw it he gasped but quickly regained his composure and said, "Same with the jars Mr Potter."

Harry repeated the exercise and looked at the jars with the cores inside. He quickly found his wand core. The jar was filled with a black powder which seemed to shine through there was little light in the shop. As he was taking the jar to Ollivander, another jar caught his eye. It was filled with a thick dark liquid and seemed to radiate a dark aura. He took it too and placed both in front of Ollivander. This time, the wandmaker couldn't hide his astonishment. But he still followed through.

"Now Mr Potter I want you to touch both the jars with your left hand and the wood with your right hand." Harry obeyed and Ollivander started moving his wand in intricate pattern while murmuring a spell. And slowly, the wand materials inched towards each other before a bright flash took place and a wand stood. It was dark brown in colour, same as the wood, but had streaks of black all over it.

"It is ready Mr Potter. Truly a magnificent wand and the most powerful one I have ever made. It is 11 inches long, made of Elder wood. The wood is rumoured to be part of the same tree that the deathstick is made of. It has two cores which makes it even more powerful. The cores though are complete opposites. One of the cores is ash from a burning phoenix while the other core is basilisk venom. Again a legend surrounds it. The venom is thought to be obtained from one of the first basilisks to be born. While the phoenix represents light, the basilisk the represents the dark. This wand will do great this, Mr Potter. It is suited for all types of magic, light and dark, offensive and defensive. Use it well Mr Potter and with great caution."

Harry took the wand gently and gasped as power seemed to flow in him. A wind blew from all directions but he only kept his gaze on the wand. It seemed to hum with power and Harry felt both excited and fearful at its prospect.

He and Ollivander made their way towards the entrance of the shop where McGonagall and Hermione were waiting for them. They paid the required 7 galleons for the wands each and left. As they made there way back, Ollivander went to write a letter. The owner of the phoenix who's ash was used had wanted to know when the ashes would help make a wand and why should Ollivander hide the fact.

The trio of two students and a professor quickly went to Madam Malkins to buy the required school robes. After the purchases were finished they all made their way to the Leaky Cauldron for a late lunch. Soon it was time to leave for their homes.

"Here you are, Miss Granger. I will see you on September 1st now. Make sure to read the first chapter of every one of your school books. It doesn't hurt to be well prepared. Goodbye." McGonagall said. "Goodbye Hermione" Harry said.

"Yes professor I will. Goodbye to both of you. Can we sit together in the train, Harry? " Hermione said warmly.

"Of course Hermione" Harry said to his new and probably only friend.

"Now Mr Potter you too read your books and I will see you on the 1st. If your relatives give you trouble remember that they don't know about the underage restriction." McGonagall finished with a feline grin on her face which surprisingly suited her face. "Yes professor, goodbye."

Harry walked toward the door of the Dursley house and knocked. His aunt answered the door with a forced smile on her face which quickly melted on seeing him.

She ushered him inside and he saw his uncle with a menacing look on his face. He, though, was prepared and in a second his wand was in his hand seeing which Vernon's face took a purple tinge. He made his way to his cupboard but was stopped by his aunt's shrill voice, "Boy, go the smallest bedroom. We have decided to you are getting too big for the cupboard."

Harry made his way to his new bedroom which only had a simple bed in it and a cupboard to keep his things. He entered the room and locked the door. It was already 3 pm and he started to arrange his purchases. He took out the basic introductory book to magic and started reading. It contained all the laws of magic, what it could do and what education at Hogwarts entailed. He though already knew that so started reading his course books. By the time of dinner, he had the knowledge of what he was going to learn at Hogwarts in the first month of his studies. He made his way down and met his aunt at the stairways.

"You do not need to do any chores from now on. You just get out of the house as early as you can." Dinner was a quiet affair and Harry was quite eager to return to his books. Harry was now sitting on his bed with books spread around him. He picked a book that he had found at a rather secluded spot at Flourish and Blotts. It was a book on the theory of magic. He found that a wand was not a requirement to do magic. Through practice, wandless magic was possible though less efficient and it left no residue so the trace could not detect it. To do it the feeling of magic needed to be emulated. Harry thought of his desperate need to learn this and remembered the tingling he felt at the wand shop. He tried to emulate the feeling for the next hour with little success. He then tried to bring the memory of the event to his mind from his memory house. As he felt the feeling again, he looked at the coin lying near him and tried to use his will as he had seen some people do on the TV when his cousin watched it. To his surprise and happiness, the coin started giving jerks and then slowly lifted. But as soon as he lost focus the coin dropped. He practised this for another hour and found it easier to do gradually. He didn't even need to bring the memory again after some time. But he now felt exhausted and quickly fell asleep though he made sure his wand was within his reach. No one knew what his uncle could do in his anger.

Harry woke at 6 am, a grin plastered on his face. It was September 1st and he had his things packed in his trunk. He only had his wand in his hand. After a fortnight of practising wandless magic, he could now easily do all the practical portion of the first two months of his magical education easily. He already had his first year books memorized with the help of his memory house which he found to be a basic type of occlumency. This led to him creating rudimentary minds shields. He made his way downstairs after freshening up and ate his breakfast. His uncle had 'kindly' agreed to take him up to the Kings Cross station and he soon found himself looking at the wall between the platforms 9 and 10. He looked around to make sure no muggle was paying much attention and ran towards the wall. According to McGonagall, the wall was a portal of sorts. His vision was filled with black for a second before another similar platform like the one he left came into view.

His trolley came to stop just before he crashed into another one. It belonged to a girl with curly blonde hair and aristocratic looks. She had a passive look on her face when she turned to look at him but a gasp of surprise left her mouth when she recognised him.

"Don't tell anyone my identity please. I am trying to keep a low profile if you don't mind." Harry said hurriedly.

"Okay Mr Potter, I won't say anything." The girl said in a blank tone.

"Its Harry, please. May I know your name?" Harry said politely.

"Daphne Greengrass." The girl said carefully.

"A pleasure to meet you, Daphne. I am in a bit of a hurry as I have to find my friend but I will see you on the train. Maybe we can share a compartment?" Harry finished hopefully. He really wanted to expand his friend circle which currently consisted of just Hermione.

"Of course Mr Pot...I mean Harry. I will save you a seat and also one for your friend too."

"Thanks, Daphne. I look forward to it" Harry said as he weaved through the crowd to find Hermione. He quickly found her. After a quick hug from her, which he still stiffened at, he was greeted by her parents who remembered him from their brief meeting. They talked a little and the train's whistle soon blew. They said their final goodbyes and boarded the train.

Meanwhile, a group of redheads wearing shabby clothes were just outside the express's platform looking for a clueless looking boy with a lightning scar on his forehead. As the train's whistle blew, they ran like hell to reach the train in time. It was a wonder that the second youngest redhead was handed his pet rat fast enough in the speeding train.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The author of the fic would like to declare that the HP universe is not owned by him. He owns just a few grains of sand he took from the sandbox of JK Rowling's which includes the fic's plot.

* * *

Harry and Hermione were going down the train's corridor trying to find Daphne. They soon found her in one of the last few compartments. She was sitting with a brunette and both were talking amicably. They knocked on the door politely and asked the girls' permission to enter as they had learned from the books on wizarding etiquettes. They sat down on the seat opposite to the girls.

"Harry, meet Tracey Davis, heir apparent to the Noble house of Davis. Tracey, Harry Potter." "A pleasure to meet you, Ms Davis." Harry said warmly while extending his hand. "The pleasure is all mine Mr Potter and its Tracey please." Tracey replied with an equal warmth while shaking his hand. "Then please call me Harry by all means. This is my friend Hermione Granger." Harry said.

After they shook hands and after the initial awkwardness disappeared, they started opening up. They were soon disturbed as someone opened the cabin door without permission. The boy looked inside for a moment, his eyes fell on Harry and he exclaimed, "Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

Harry immediate put his guard up and coolly replied, "I find this hard to believe considering the train is magical and has already enough space to seat double the usual number of students. We also saw a number of compartments empty on our way." The Hogwarts express had a whole section on it in Hogwarts A History so Harry was bound to know this.

"But this compartment has some space for me. Come on! Let me in." The boy all but whined. He pushed his way through the compartment and sat without permission. "I am Ron Weasley." He said to Harry and looked up at his scar."Blimey, you are Harry Potter" He exclaimed.

As soon as Ron has said the word Weasley, Harry's green eyes flashed dangerously as remembered that this was the family who was being paid by Dumbledore. It seemed that they were searching for him and wanted to make relations with him. He stood up and glared at Ron, "Mr Weasley, you come here uninvited and blatantly lie to us just because you wanted to see me but simply put we don't want you here. So I request you to remove your company before we are forced to take some action." Ron may not have been smart but even he knew he couldn't fight with Harry or the whole plan which his mother explained to him would go to waste so he left quietly muttering curses.

After that incidence, the topic came to houses. "We are hoping to get in Slytherin. Most of our family comes from that house and it suits our plans for Hogwarts perfectly." Daphne said.

"I would be happy to get in any house, though Ravenclaw sounds the best to me." Harry said. Hermione nodding her acceptance too, "According to Hogwarts a History, they even have a library in their common room." Hermione's eyes gleamed when she said this. All the occupants of the compartment laughed when they saw the gleam.

They were again disturbed when the compartment door opened and a boy with blonde hair walked in. "I heard that Harry Potter is in here. It is you isn't it." The boy said in a superior air to him while he looked at Harry. Harry nodded and asked, "Yes and whom might you be."

"My name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Hermione sniggered lightly when she recognized the obvious muggle style the boy has stolen his introduction from. The boy, Draco, looked affronted at the laugh and exclaimed, "Think my name is funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Malfoys don't need to talk to the likes of peasants. You will soon find that some wizards are better than others Potter, I can help you find them." Malfoy raised his hand to shake Harry's but Harry was livid. He was going to tell this boy exactly how he felt when he saw the discreet shake of the head from Daphne.

"Mr Malfoy, firstly insulting my companions would not win you points from me. Secondly, I thank you for your gracious offer and I will consider it, but give me some time. I am new to the magical world and am trying to blend in, okay?" Harry now saw what Daphne was trying to say. Here was the perfect example of the Bigoted Lords that he had read about. They were politically powerful and were not the ones to mess with but also, they had little to no arguments to support their beliefs. Someone this young could easily be shown the way but the process must be slow.

Malfoy nodded slowly as he contemplated Harry's words. "Okay, Potter. I can understand. But remember that this offer will not be for long." And Malfoy exited their cabin. "Good work Harry, I was afraid you will simply reject his offer and start a fight. You see this is why I won't make many relations with people at Hogwarts." Harry now understood why Daphne had suddenly got a passive face when Malfoy entered.

A knock at the door was heard and a pudgy-faced boy looked inside,"H..Has anyone s..seen a t..toad? I have l..lost one." The boy stuttered and was clearly very nervous. Harry stood up to greet him and said, "No but I will be happy to help you", "Me too" Hermione piped.

The boy's face brightened instantly and gave them a nervous smile, "Thanks, I am Neville by the way, Neville Longbottom."

"I am Harry, nice to meet you. So let's find your pet and later if you want you can sit with us." Harry offered while he glanced at the two girls for their permission which they soon gave happily.

The trio searched for the toad for fifteen minutes when Harry suddenly exclaimed, "I am so stupid. Come on Neville, I know how we can find your toad quickly." Hermione and Neville both followed Harry as he went to the front end of the train towards the prefects' cabin. They made their way to the nearest prefect who looked at around 15 years of age and Harry asked, "Excuse me but we were wondering if you could help us. Our friend Neville here has lost his toad and I thought maybe you could summon it for us." Hearing this, Hermione's palm hit her face as she also realized her supposed stupidity of not remembering the spell that even a third year was not required to know. But to both the kids, that was a serious crime. Soon the trio made their way to the cabin with one of them holding his pet amphibian called Trevor.

The trolley lady made her appearance soon and the five friends ate candy together though Hermione was reluctant, something about growing up with a lot of 'candy rules'. An hour was left in the ride when they changed into their robes, the boys giving the girls their privacy by leaving the cabin for a few moments.

The train stopped soon and they stepped outside to meet a man who could only be described as a giant. He was a lot taller than the average man and was holding a lamp, calling out to the first years. They walked towards him and were asked to sit in a boat. Daphne and Tracey sat with two other kids while Harry, Hermione and Neville were joined by the redhead boy Ron who constantly pestered Harry with questions throughout the trip. As they got the first look of the magnificent castle, gasps of wonder were heard everywhere.

They reached the castle and Hagrid led them to the only professor Harry and Hermione knew, Professor McGonagall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts", said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common room."

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours."

All eyes were on her as she spoke. She then led them to the great hall where all the other students were waiting for them to be sorted. They assembled just before the teacher's table which had a stool to sit upon in front of it and a dusty old hat was kept on the stool. Professor McGonagall took out a scroll and started taking names of the first years.

Harry waited patiently for his turn while he looked around to observe his surroundings. His gaze was upon Dumbledore, who was sitting in a grand chair, a few seconds longer. He saw Hermione taking a lot of time before the hat shouted the name of her house and she took her place with the Eagles. Daphne joined Tracey in Slytherin while Neville took even longer than Hermione before he joined the house of the lions. Soon his name was called and he stepped up to sit on the stool.

The sorting hat was placed upon his head and he felt a strange presence as if someone was knocking, on his mind shields. He then heard a voice in his mind, 'Can you let me, I have to sort you, you know?' It was an old, raspy voice, 'How do I know that you will not betray my secrets?' Harry asked sceptically. 'I have been charmed not to do so Mr Potter so please, I do need to read your mind'. Harry reluctantly lowered his mind shields which had slowly gotten stronger over the month.

'Oh my! Difficult, very difficult. There is courage no doubt, you were very brave to tolerate your relatives. But you are not loyal to many and don't give your trust easily so Hufflepuff is out. Your ambition is one of the greatest Mr Potter and cunning too. Salazar would have loved to have you in his house. But in the end, it comes down to your knowledge. You seek knowledge, not as a requirement but as a skill. You have one of the most developed mindset I have ever seen among anyone your age. It is obvious now that I see it. Though Slytherin suits you a lot, it seems you are better for another. So better be RAVENCLAW!'

* * *

AN: I would like to thank NushaK and Enss, my beta readers. Without their help, this fic would not have been possible. RR


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The author of this fic doesn't own the HP universe. It is owned by our queen, J.K. Rowling.

* * *

It was as if the whole great hall had been hit with a Silencio. Nobody moved, all had expected the Boy-who-lived to get in Gryffindor. To find him in Ravenclaw was a surprise but soon the Eagle house started cheering. Harry made his way next to Hermione and sat down, immediately being greeted by all his new housemates. He recognized the prefect who had helped him summon Neville's toad who introduced herself as Penelope Clearwater.

Soon the sorting ended with a boy Blaise Zabini being sorted in Slytherin. McGonagall stood up and clinked her goblet, "May I have your attention please, the headmaster would like to say a few words." Dumbledore stood up and waited till all eyes were on him. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."

All the first years exchanged confused looks while the older years just rolled their eyes. Dumbledore clapped his hands and suddenly all the tables were filled with food. Harry, who hardly received any food at his relatives, stared at it but started eating after a prompt from Hermione. He glanced at the staff table to see his teachers. McGonagall was engaged in a talk with Dumbledore. All other teachers were talking among themselves while one single teacher was watching him curiously. He had a pale hollow face with a large hooked nose. Behind him, a man wearing a turban dropped his fork and dropped down to retrieve it when Harry felt a tingling on his mind shields. He could only identify it as a leglimency attack that a book had described. He quickly shut his shield hard and suddenly the man with the turban fell off his chair. Harry turned to Penelope, who asked him to call her Penny, and asked, "Hey Penny, who are those teachers," pointing to the two.

"The one with the black robe is Professor Snape. He teaches potions though he is biased against other houses and always supports Slytherin. He is the reason we haven't won the house cup for a long time. The one wearing the turban is professor Quirrel, the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. He used to teach muggle studies but I guess he changed his mind." Penny informed him before returning to her conversation with her friends.

Soon another clap from the headmaster resulted in the food to be replaced with deserts. Harry could now say that his favourite dessert was treacle tart. They ate their fill before Dumbledore stood up and began to speak again, "I have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note, that the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr Filch, has asked me to remind you that the third-floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to all who do not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you"

Penny then stood up and with a quick talk to a redhead boy led the first years to the Ravenclaw tower.

They were now standing in front of an eagle knocker. "This is the entrance to the common room. To enter, you must answer a riddle asked by the knocker. If you answer wrong, you wait for someone else to answer it. This way you learn." Penny said and then knocked on the door, the eagle head suddenly coming to life and asked, "What thing is served but never eaten?" Penny thought for a second before answering "Justice". The door swung open while Harry muttered, "Tennis balls too". A few kids, probably purebloods, looked at him strangely not knowing what Tennis was.

Penny and the male prefect showed them their dormitories before they were called for a meeting with their head of the house, Filius Flitwick. "So firstly, I welcome our new Ravens to the house. I hope you continue the noble reputation of our house and bring laurels to it. We have a whole library here but I warn you that reading past your bedtime will get you more homework." Flitwick said sternly while a few older students chuckled. "We have monthly reviews to make sure you don't start slacking so don't get your grades down. On a lighter note, remember that my office is always open for you, whether it be for your troubles with class, your peers or just a nice chat." Flitwick finished smiling. There was light applause and they were given some time to get used to the new surroundings.

Harry and Hermione made their way to an unoccupied couch and sat. The previous few hours had been eventful yet tiring. They made small talk before it was soon time for bed. Both made their ways to their dorms where Harry met his dorm mates Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Terry Boot and Stephen Cornfoot. They talked very little though that was because of the initial ice. Harry made his way to his Blue and Bronze four poster bed, the past few hours were very tiring even for his fit body. Before he succumbed to sleep, his final thought was, 'Well not bad for the first day. Let's just see how magical life can now be.'

Harry awoke the next day with the sun rays falling on his face. The fact that his bed was the nearest to the window and the Ravenclaw tower was just that, a tower, the sun would soon become his natural alarm. He freshened up and went downstairs. He was one of the few students who had woken up this early. Seeing how there was still two hours before breakfast started, he decided to get acquainted with the castle. It was not as difficult as he had expected due to a few helpful older years. With the help of some general directions to the classrooms of the basic classes, he was done roaming within an hour. He then started searching for a place where he could exercise. All he required was a running track of sorts and the black lake proved to be ideal though he decided to start the exercise after a few days and get settled in first. He then went to the Great hall for breakfast.

There Hermione was already waiting for him and greeted him with a smile. He smiled back before sitting next to her and started to eat. He filled his plate with some eggs, a few strips of bacon and got a glass of pumpkin juice which he was beginning to like. He glanced at the other tables searching for his new friends. He gave a friendly nod to Daphne and Tracey and found a nervous looking Neville trying to get food while maintaining his distance from the boy Ron who was piling his plate with every type of food that he could find. Food was being dropped everywhere he went but he was oblivious to it and kept getting more food. Harry waved to Neville who smiled back before starting to eat.

Both Hermione and Harry had finished eating and were talking to Padma Patil when Flitwick came to them and gave them their schedules. They had Transfiguration first followed by Charms and then they were free for the day. As everyone finished their breakfasts, most students started to move to their classes. Harry and Hermione would have been lost in the huge castle had Harry not roamed around earlier. They soon found that they were the first to reach the Transfiguration classroom. They knocked on the door and entered when asked to.

McGonagall was quite surprised to see that two first years let alone one had managed to find the classroom on time. She had decided to give the class a show using her animagus form but they had already seen her. She decided to still go one with her 'plan'. "Good morning Ms Granger, Mr Potter, it is a surprise that you found the class on time." McGonagall said in her usual brisk tone.

"Good morning professor, we wouldn't have if Harry had not tried to get familiarized with the castle." Hermione replied, always the one to tell the truth while Harry ducked his head in embarrassment. McGonagall's face remained passive though Harry could swear he saw her lips twitch. They sat in the front of the class and were shocked to say the least when, after finishing her work, McGonagall leapt on the table and transformed into a tabby cat, her animagus form. She had spectacle markings around her eyes and gave them a cat wink.

A second later, the other first years started to pour in. As all the first years settled in, Hermione couldn't spot Ron. McGonagall waited for him before starting the class and was soon rewarded as he came crashing, ten minutes late. His face showed relief when he couldn't see the professor and sat down. his comment of 'look on old professor's face if she caught him' was not missed by the class. McGonagall, on the arrival of the redhead, then leapt into the air and transformed back. She went to the Weasley's seat.

"That was bloody brilliant" Ron exclaimed. "Well, thank you for that assessment, Mr Weasley. Perhaps it would be more useful if I were to transfigure yourself into a pocket watch? That way, you might be on time." The Slytherins sniggered while Ron's face started matching his hair in redness. "I got lost," he said simply. "Then perhaps a map." McGonagall said coolly before she went to her table and began her lesson.

The first part of the class consisted of the basic theory of transfiguration. Harry, having read this already, paid half attention to it while his mind started wondering about the Leglimency attack on him. According to the books, such an attack required eye contact and only the potions master was looking at him that time. But Harry had learned never to take things as what they looked before knowing all the facts and so he decided to wait before trying to take any action. Soon the practical portion of the class came.

This was the first time that Harry would have done magic with a wand and he was very excited at the prospect of learning the difference between using a wand and wandless magic. Harry had learned that the wand movements were just to maintain the focus of the caster so as soon as he got his match from McGonagall to change to a needle he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He placed his wand tip over the match and closed his eyes focusing on the change he wanted. He spoke the incantation softly and opened his eyes. He was rewarded with the sight of a shiny, pointed needle which was missing the eye. Harry, realizing his mistake, did the spell again and found a perfect needle in front of him. He showed it McGonagall who had a hard time believing that someone, let alone a first year, had completed the assigned work in a minute after receiving the class.

"Well Mr Potter, it seems you are more like your father than what just meets the eye. But even he wasn't this good in transfiguration. Tell me what were you thinking when you attempted the spell?" McGonagall asked giving him one of her very rare smiles.

"I just imagined what I wanted to change professor. I read it in a book that transfiguration was all about imagination." Harry answered awkwardly. He was hardly ever complimented and he never learned how to handle the appreciation. McGonagall let him sit back down while she wondered whether the child knew that what he just said was learned by experts during their mastery. And this child was using the concept in his first year. Excited was a small word to describe her feelings when she thought about what he could do in his later years.

Harry went to his seat and was surprised to see that all others were having troubles with the spell, even Hermione. He approached his seat next to her and asked, "Hermione, what are you thinking about when casting the spell?"

"I know about the imagination part Harry but I don't seem to get it. I picture both the objects in my mind but it doesn't work." Hermione said dejectedly.

"Hermione, just picturing the objects won't work. Imagine the matchstick changing into the needle. The colour changing slowly, getting lighter. The eye forming from the thick end. The change should be gradual." Hermione got a look of concentration and the next time she cast the spell, another perfect needle joined Harry's. Hermione smiled another of her million watt smiles that showed her perfect though slightly big teeth, most probably the result of having dentists as parents.

Hermione and Harry then turned to Neville who was struggling with his match. After a quick lesson on the use of imagination in transfiguration, the results improved as the match changed to silver and became a little pointed though it was still clearly a match and not a needle. When they took the problem to McGonagall, she inspected Neville's casting and asked, "Is this your wand, Mr Longbottom? Your pronunciation and wand movements are perfectly alright."

"N...no professor, this is my f..father's wand. My g...gran thought that it was better to use this wand." Neville replied stuttered.

"I see, well Mr Longbottom it seems that the wand is what is stopping you from casting the spell correctly. I believe you should change it and if needed I will have a talk with Augusta regarding not moulding you into a copy of your father, no matter how good he was." Neville squeaked but didn't say anything and the lesson soon got over. As the first years left, McGonagall thought about the class. One imperfect needle would have been a surprise but two perfect ones along with it were simply unheard of. She should have realized that things were never normal when Harry Potter was concerned.

* * *

AN: This chapter took a little long, but it is longer so I think it is a good deal. I will try to make the chapters longer from now on. I credit by betas Enss and NushaK for their work. Without them, there would have been a lot of mistakes. R R


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I am not making any galleons, dollars etc of this fic. I own just the plot and future OCs.

* * *

The first years made their way to the charms classroom or more accurately followed Harry. The journey would have been pleasant if not for the untimely interruption of one Ronald Weasley. He joined Harry at his side and said rather cheerfully, "Hey Harry, why don't you ditch those nerds and join us Gryffindors where you belong. We would be happy to give you Longbottom's place."

Harry was thoroughly annoyed. This boy had insulted two of his friends in a single sentence and god be damned if he was going to let it go. "Listen Weasley, I don't like you so maintain your distance from me. And if I ever hear you saying a word about my friends, I will make sure that you are hexed into next week. Am I clear?" Harry said angrily, his green eyes flashing. Ron's ears reddened and he quickly receded back. They soon reached the charms classroom and sat themselves down.

The charms lesson was similar to the transfiguration one. During the first half, Flitwick taught the basics of charms and the theory of the levitation spell. The practical half soon started and Harry touched his wand to the feather, gave the required swish and flick and said softly, "Wingardium Leviosa". Harry found that the spell was a lot easier than performing wandlessly and the feather shot up to the ceiling of the room.

Flitwick came running seeing this, amazed just like McGonagall. "Mr Potter, excellent. Simply excellent. You sure are your mother's son. She too was a charms prodigy. Ten points to Ravenclaw." He exclaimed excitedly and had just turned when another feather joined Harry's. It seemed that Hermione, never to back down from a challenge, had also successfully completed the spell. Ravenclaw gained ten more points soon.

The class was going well and Harry was trying to help Neville till he got his own wand. Neville's feather was quivering though floating high though it was still better than most of the class.

They went to the Great Hall for lunch which was just as grand as the welcoming feast and decided to start breaking the one tradition that kept the potential at Hogwarts at bay, house rivalry. They made a beeline to the Slytherin table where Daphne and Tracey were having their lunches. Luckily, they found seats next to the girls who smiled when they joined them. The whole hall watched silently as the golden boy ate with the 'house of evil'.

After the lunch, the quad, picking Neville on the way, decided to just relax at the Hogwarts grounds. They sat under a tree and watched as other students did their daily work, some scrambling to reach their classes, some talking with friends and some playing gobstones. They decided to start playing some exploding snap and played a few games which were won mostly by Daphne and Tracey who had the most experience. They then went to the legendary library of Hogwarts, rumoured to contain thousands of books on every topic of magic.

The first thing they met with upon entering the library was a serious talk with Madam Pince about keeping quiet in there. After the long talk that never seemed to end, they explored the library. Sadly Harry found the library to be lacking severely and found no books on any topic other than the ones that were needed in the usual topics. This seemed suspicious to Harry as well as the two Slytherins who had heard stories of it from their grandparents but they decided to see to it later. They finished the little homework given to them in the two classes and retired to the great hall.

Harry soon was surprised to say the least as a tawny owl flew to him and handed him a thick book full of parchments, the Gringotts seal on top. He said a hasty goodbye to the girls and Neville and ran to the Ravenclaw common room. He stood in front of the knocker and was asked, "What is the truth?" Harry had already decided that he wasn't going to let the knocker annoy him with the daily questions and answered, "The word with the letters T, R, U and H in it" with a straight face. A distinct groaning sound came from the knocker as it replied, "There is always one in a few years" but opened nonetheless. He went to his dorm, sat on the bed, drew the curtains around and cast the basic privacy charm he had recently read about.

He opened the ledger and started reading, his jaw slowly dropping to inhumane proportions. According to the bank, he had about 10000 galleons in his trust vault to be refilled each year. The trust vault was to be used for his schooling and any hobbies that he may have his interests in. The main family vault contained more than 5 million galleons that had only increased acquiring interest over the years. Along with the money he also had controlling interest in the main wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet and in various other companies including the Nimbus broom company. He also had a number of shares in various muggle companies that he recognized as successful technology enterprises.

There were various forms that he had to sign which gave the goblins his permission to invest the money. After reading them very carefully, searching for any loopholes and finding none, he signed the forms which glowed a golden colour before disappearing with a crack. This was one of the greatest surprises for him because considering the fact that according to Hogwarts a history it was impossible to apparate to or from Hogwarts and neither were the transport of items like this possible. He filed it in his mind to ask the goblins later. There was also a note saying he should take an inheritance blood test to recognize other houses that he may be an heir to.

Harry was confused at that part but that vanished as he saw the papers that if signed would declare him as Lord Potter and emancipate him. He decided to give it a thought because being a minor in the wizarding world he had a magical guardian and currently he wasn't too happy with one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

He packed the papers again and put them safely in his trunks and applied some locking charms that he was sure could not be broken by his dorm mates. He was shocked yet giddy at the thought of having so much money and any eleven year old would have been. He thought how getting emancipated could get him away from the Dursleys and how being Lord Potter could up his political game so that Dumbledore couldn't touch him. Of course, Dumbledore was very powerful magically but even then would not be able to do much.

He met his friends who had made themselves busy talking. At his sudden departure, he was met with a confused look from Neville, a curious look from Hermione and inquisitive ones from Daphne and Tracey but he kept silent and started a different topic to take the attention from him.

Dinner was a quiet yet enjoyable affair. They decided to dine at the Gryffindor table this time and were enjoying themselves when the all-time winner of foot in mouth disease made his appearance and shouted, "What are you two slimy Slytherins doing here?" Ron Weasley had always been taught the 'truth' about the Slytherin house and always acted with the Greater good in mind. He didn't know what Greater good meant but his mother always said so and he knew better than to anger her.

Daphne knew that sitting with the Gryffindors would have consequences. The first one being Ron Weasley was no big challenge. She then adopted a passive face like before and said coolly, "Eating Weasley," Ron sputtered for some time before shouting, "Why? You have your own table so go there and eat with those snakes."

"Listen Weasley, just shut up and eat. You are ruining our appetite with your presence." Ron was starting to say something when two pairs of hands gripped his face and dragged him to another table. The hand belonged to a pair of twins who had prior experience with the idiocy of their brother. They then gave Harry a respectful nod and started their own dinner.

The five friends talked for the duration of the dinner before they retired to their own common rooms. Harry and Hermione went straight to a rather secluded corner of the common room where no one could overhear them on Harry's request.

"Hermione, have you ever tried wandless magic before?" Harry said casually though Hermione jaw dropped at the question.

"Harry, you do know that wandless magic is very difficult right? Not even the most powerful wizards can do much with it and that too with a lot of practice and experience." Harry was seriously confused now. He didn't feel that it was that difficult. Sure it had been difficult for the first couple of weeks but it had gotten easier. Harry decided to leave the topic alone for now and started the topic of potions which was the first class the next day.

"I think we should read ahead. Though from what I have learnt even that wouldn't help." Harry said a little dejectedly but both took out their books and read the first few chapters.

* * *

The next day, the two friends were walking to the dungeons and reached the classroom. The Slytherins were already there since their common room was much closer to the class. Both sat next to Daphne and Tracey who gave them slight smiles. Slowly other students poured in the class. Soon Snape entered the class, his black robes billowing at every step of his, the class becoming silent on his arrival.

Snape started the roll call and stopped at Harry's name. "Mr Potter our new celebrity," and resumed the roll call. He then said, "You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word – like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Hermione held the edge of her seat and looked desperate to prove that she wasn't a dunderhead while Harry and Neville shared a look.

"Potter," Snape said suddenly "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry thought for a second before answering, "The Draught of Living Dead sir."

Snape looked taken aback. He hadn't expected the son of James Potter to open a book before the class let alone remember what he read but he persisted, "And where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Harry smiled a little but answered, "In the potions cupboard sir"

Snape glared at him and barked, "That's 5 points from Ravenclaw for your cheek Potter. Let's try again, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane." Harry had not read about that in any of the books and said, "I don't know sir."

Snape got a predatory gleam in his obsidian eyes and said, "Tut-Tut clearly fame isn't everything. Thought you wouldn't read a book properly before class did you, Potter," Harry got an indignant look and said, "Professor, we weren't informed about any quiz that we had to prepare for. Can you please do so the next time?" Harry was angry, of course, bias was one thing but outright picking on him was something he wouldn't accept.

"That just cost you thirty points from Ravenclaw and you will have detention with me at seven today." Snape shouted. Never had a student ever spoken to him in such a way.

Harry then did something that left Snape frothing in the mouth with anger and filled Harry with a feeling of satisfaction. He got up, left the class while slamming the door as hard as he could, leaving about forty gaping students and one really angry potions master.

* * *

AN: Happy New Year readers. Sorry, this chapter took so long but it's the holiday season and it was a really busy week. I promise to post the next chapter sooner but there is a really important day coming ahead on 14th Jan so maybe a tribute? Don't forget to R R


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The author doesn't own the HP universe and is getting tired of writing these disclaimers in a creative way but can't risk legal matters so he must. Sad but true.

* * *

Harry didn't notice where he was going. He just wanted to get away from the potions classroom. He soon found himself standing in front of Flitwick's office. He had never really been helped by an adult during his stay with the Dursleys but he decided to give it a try. Luckily the charms professor was free at that time and didn't have any class. Harry knocked on the door twice and was asked to come in.

"Hello, Mr Potter. If I am not wrong, shouldn't you be in your potions lesson right now ?" Flitwick asked in his squeaky voice.

"That is why I am here professor. I would like to file an official complain about Professor Snape. He behaved in a completely unprofessional manner today." Harry finished angrily.

"Calm down Mr Potter. First, have a seat and tell me what happened exactly." Harry then proceeded to tell Flitwick all the details of what occurred. By the end, the normally cheerful professor had a frown on his face and those who knew him well would have known that he was close to hexing someone. But for the sake of the child in front of him, he calmed down and said, " Mr Potter, I understand your problem and let me assure you that you are in no fault. I think we should bring this matter to the headmaster."

* * *

Snape, after recovering from the initial shock of Harry's departure, immediately went to Dumbledore too. As he gave the gargoyle the password, some muggle candy name, he rapped hard on the office's door and entered when asked to.

"Headmaster I want you to expel Potter. His arrogance is even greater than his father. He strutted inside the class as if he owned it and left it without permission." Snape then told Dumbledore a very inaccurate account of what happened that morning and was shouting by the time he ended.

"Severus please calm down. Let us first have young Harry with us before we decide his punishment." Dumbledore knew this was going to happen. This would have helped portray his grandfatherly image in front of Harry when he would have come to give him some kind words. He had expected Severus to bully Harry but didn't expect Harry to show the backbone to leave the class. 'Severus must have pushed him too far else he couldn't have taken such a step, I have made sure of that' Dumbledore thought and said suddenly when his wards triggered, "I think it is unnecessary to call Harry here since it seems he and professor Flitwick are at the door." And as he said that, a knock was heard and the door opened to reveal the two people.

"Ah professor Flitwick, we were just talking about young Harry. Thank you for dropping him by. I would handle from here." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes. He turned to Harry whose next words completely destroyed his plan for his image, "I rather have him here headmaster. He is my head of house, isn't he? And the Hogwarts charter says that any meeting with you has to be in his presence. Then why would you dismiss him without hearing what he has to say?" Harry was still angry at him for all his sufferings at the Dursleys. He had paid them from his trust vault so he must have known about his treatment there.

"I was thinking the same headmaster. What I want to know is why professor Snape bullied Harry today and then gave him detention for protesting." Flitwick said respectfully though his anger was evident in his voice.

"But Filius, Mr Potter wasn't right in leaving the class. He has to respect his teachers." Dumbledore said but Harry cut him off, "Respect has to be earned headmaster and Snape here hasn't earned any today." And as Harry looked to meet Dumbledore's eyes he met with a strong Leglimency attack. But his initial attack during the feast had kept Harry on his feet and he retaliated with a strong push which resulted in a short shout from Dumbledore and left him with a strong headache that took many days to heal completely.

"Headmaster you just performed Leglimency on a minor which is illegal. What would the public say when they come to know that the head of the judicial system is breaking laws?" Harry said while Flitwick turned to the headmaster and asked in shock and anger, "Is he saying the truth headmaster?" Dumbledore quickly backed down as said with a reassuring smile deciding that currently, Harry was more important than the resident spy, "I was merely trying to know the truth, nothing else. And I understand Harry that you weren't wrong. So I cancel the deduction of the points and the detention. Are you happy now?"

"No headmaster I am not. I refuse to learn from a man who is so unprofessional. I have a lot of gold in my trust vault. I am sure I can afford private tuitions. And also if I were you I would make sure that the teachers don't abuse their powers. I had heard of Professor Snape's bias against other houses but this is just another level of it." Harry said. He decided not to reveal the fact that he knew of his family vault. He had read of Dumbledore's political and magical power and he wanted to make sure that the old wizard didn't get his hands on the money.

"What you ask is too much Harry. Professor Snape is our potions master and you can't simply deny him his right of teaching." Dumbledore said as if the matter was closed but Harry was far from finished, "Then headmaster, please accept my withdrawal from the school. I will not tolerate such a man who refuses professionalism. There are other schools. I can go there" Dumbledore was now scared. The boy-who-lived leaving Hogwarts would result in various political problems for him and he needed to keep Harry within his influence to guide him to his destiny. He then said tiredly, "Okay Mr Potter you win. You can arrange for your tutors as you want."

"Headmaster, you can't possibly give in to him. He is just using his fame to get what he wants. See reason." Snape shouted but Dumbledore shot him a hard look which completely shut him up. There was a reason that the dark lord was said to fear Dumbledore.

Harry and Flitwick just nodded and left to their own ways but not before Harry thanking Flitwick profusely for his help. It had been the first time any adult had stood up for him.

Even as he was leaving, Harry knew who he would contact to get the tutors. He went to the common room and entered his dorm, picking some spare parchment on the way and started to write his letter.

* * *

Houndclaw was quite surprised to see the beautiful snowy owl with a letter for him and as he read it the surprised feeling only grew. The tutors could be arranged easily and the young Potter heir would have no problems affording the best ones in the business. He then thought about the current state of Hogwarts. No defence teacher had lasted more than a year for many years. A few extra skills in the tutor would hurt no one. He started writing the letter to the best candidate for the position, someone who would have no problem dealing with the likes of Albus Dumbledore. A meeting with Mr Potter wouldn't hurt too so he decided to start his plans early.

* * *

Harry, after writing the letter, met up with his classmates who had no choice but to leave after the professor himself had left the class. He was met with a look of disbelief from Hermione and an awed look from Neville while his two Slytherin friends had decided to stay in their common room.

As soon as Hermione saw him she opened her mouth for a rant but was cut off by him, "I know Hermione. It was wrong to leave the class like that but you have to admit it is even worse to treat a student like that."

"But Harry it is wrong to shout at elders," Hermione who had always been taught to respect the authorities said.

"Hermione, you got to learn that the elders are not right all the time. Just look at Snape. He was at fault today even Flitwick agreed to that." Harry said as gently as he could. This habit of hers would take time change. Hermione who had no answer to that stayed quiet and pondered on his statement.

A few hours later they went to their next lesson, History of Magic which was uninteresting, to say the least. Within five minutes of the lesson's beginning, almost all heads were down and even some snores could be heard. Of course, Hermione was taking notes of everything the professor said. Being taught history by a ghost had excited a lot of first years but their excitement shattered the first time they heard the droning voice. It seemed that the couple hours long lesson was a lifetime but as the lesson ended, all the first years scurried out of the classroom.

The dinner was a quiet affair though the food was impeccable. The five friends dined on the Hufflepuff table this time, though none belonged to that house. The friendly badgers were only too happy to accommodate them. They soon made friends with one Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot.

Harry and Hermione went to their common room after that where the knocker seemed to blanched the sight of Harry but asked its question nonetheless.

"What came first, the phoenix or the flame?"

Hermione answered instantly, her muggle nature already acquainted by the chicken version of the riddle, "Its a cycle that neither has a beginning nor an end."

"Aww...Hermione, I wanted to answer that," Harry whined.

"But wouldn't your answer be similar?" Hermione asked with a confused look. Seeing the resulting grin on Harry's face, Hermione decided she didn't want to know. They entered and went to an unoccupied couch. Reading a few books for an hour or so they called it a night.

Harry went to his bed, cast the basic silencing charm to maintain the silence and started working on his mind shields. Two Leglimency attacks in two days weren't acceptable. He decided to add a few unique measures to surprise his attackers and then went to sleep.

The next day Harry met up with Hermione and they both went to the Great Hall for breakfast where only a few people were present, it being rather early. Soon people filtered in and the breakfast was going normally when the doors of the hall opened with a bang. A blonde woman stood there, a few guns on her waist and her wand in her hand. She wore a dark plate-like armor that Harry guessed was dragonhide which he had heard was used to make those. All in all, she looked rather dangerous.

She scanned her eyes around the tables and as her eyes rested on Harry, she walked to him. As she came closer, Harry noticed that she was quite pretty with high cheekbones and stormy grey eyes. She reached to him and said, " Mr Potter if I am not mistaken. I am Enyo Arms, your new potions instructor and trainer."

* * *

AN: Thank god for Enss, my beta, without whom this would be filled with errors. It's 14 Jan and I would just like to say- Read and Review and turn to Pg. 394 dunderheads because Snape says so. Rickman rules our hearts in his sarcastic snapey ways. Here's to him.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: HP universe is not, I repeat, not owned by the author. He is playing in the sandbox of JKR.

* * *

Harry grinned at his new tutor. He invited her to sit next to him while Hermione was at his other side. They made small talk to break the ice and Harry found that Ms Arms, who had asked to be called just Enyo, was not very old. She was just 25 years of age but had a lot of practical experience while working with the goblins, apparently, curse breaking was more than just waving wands.

Albus Dumbledore knew this woman was trouble as soon as she walked in. He couldn't recognise her from anywhere and when she headed towards Harry, his suspicion was only confirmed. As he saw her chatting with Harry, he went to the Ravenclaw table to make sure he didn't miss any details about the woman.

"Mr Potter, can you introduce your companion to me? Its rare for Hogwarts to have visitors at this hour." Dumbledore said while smiling in his grandfather persona.

"Of course Headmaster. Meet Ms Enyo Arms, my potions tutor. Enyo you already must know Albus Dumbledore." Harry said. Enyo just nodded at Dumbledore and returned to talking with Harry. Dumbledore, seeing how nobody wanted him there, had no choice but to retreat.

"So Enyo, how are we going to manage the classes, will they be held daily or less frequently and where can we have them?" Harry asked in an excited voice.

"Relax Harry, we have much to talk about but not here. I know just the right place for them but first, finish your food." Enyo said smiling at his enthusiasm.

Harry quickly ate his food but had to wait for Hermione to finish hers. He had already decided that he wasn't going to let his friends suffer at the hands of Snape. As the three people left the great hall, two sets of eyes followed them. One belonged to the headmaster of the school, who was already visibly strained at not knowing what was going on about Harry, while the other belonged to a concerned head of house of the two students who left.

Harry was confused. They had been roaming around the school for the past fifteen minutes and had walked passed the great hall again. But as he was going to voice his concern, they stopped in front of a tapestry that he later found was of a wizard called Barnabus the Barmy. Enyo walked in front of the wall opposite it thrice and Harry and Hermione were surprised to say the least that a door appeared.

Enyo gestured them to follow her and as they entered the room, the door behind them disappeared. Three comfortable looking couches were there for them so they sat themselves down.

"Now Mr Potter, and Ms Granger, I know you are confused and I will answer all your questions but after I tell you about everything." Enyo said, understanding how this would be quite extraordinary for an eleven year old.

"Now firstly, let me tell you that along with teaching you potions, I will be teaching you many other 'extra' things. You will learn many defence spells as well as the mind arts. After we find any magical talents that you may have, we will try to develop them."

Harry was floored. Here he was thinking he had to work hard to just find someone to help him against Dumbledore but Gringotts had taken care of everything. He made sure to remember to thank Houndclaw for thinking ahead.

"So Mr Potter, you must also be wondering where we are and why we took such a route here. Well, to be frank, I don't trust Albus Dumbledore and I know you don't too. I wouldn't get it past him to have some way to track us. I have already removed a number of tracking spells off of you both" Enyo said.

This made both Harry and Hermione angry. Harry was already getting used to Dumbledore's manipulations but for Hermione, this was the first time someone in authority had betrayed her. This was the first step to get her out of her habit of worship.

"And as to where we are, we are currently sitting in, probably, the most magical place of the castle. Welcome to the Room of Requirement, the name is self-explanatory. This room becomes literally anything you require. It has been found by numerous children and adults alike but most never find its secret. To find this room, you have to walk in front of the wall out there thrice thinking exactly what you want. For example," Enyo said and then closed her eyes. Slowly a chair materialised in front of them.

Harry and Hermione had their jaws dropped at this. This room was perfect for what they wanted. It was almost too good to be true. These lessons instantly became more exciting by tenfold.

Enyo grinned at them and continued, "Caught on have you. Gringotts don't do things by half. These lessons will also include politics. You will learn about wizarding traditions as well as the Wizengamot which is like the parliament." Hermione grinned at this while Harry groaned. Theory, though easy to learn for him, was never interesting.

They discussed the timings for the lessons. They decided to have classes twice a week at weekends so that they could have them for enough time. At last, they left the room and they walked to the hall.

As they were walking Harry, being the eleven year old he was, asked Enyo a question out of his curiosity, "Enyo, don't take this the wrong way, but how much are these lessons costing me? I mean you are obviously putting yourself in danger considering Dumbledore's involvement."

Enyo was nervous. She really liked these two kids. Her lessons had always cost her a lot of trouble and she did all she could to manage in as little fees as possible, still, she lost clients. She replied, "Harry, I am being paid a hundred galleons a month for these lessons."

"What!" Harry said, almost shouting. Enyo braced and consoled herself for the denial that was eminent but never came, "How can you manage in that? I mean that is just about 500 pounds a month. And you must need so much protection."

Enyo smiled at the kid's thoughtfulness, and here she was thinking she was going to lose this job. "Its okay Harry, really. Of course it's difficult sometimes but I manage. And Gringotts give the basic wards to all its cursebreakers."

"But its wrong. I tell you what, I will talk to Houndclaw about this and from now you will be getting at least 500 Galleons a month or what he describes as sufficient. You are our trainer now. We must take care of you too," Harry said earnestly.

"Alright Harry, you win. And that reminds me, this Saturday instead of the lessons, we will be visiting Gringotts. Since you won't have any classes that day it is unlikely someone will note your absence. We have some very important work to do which will really help me plan the schedule for your education." Enyo grinned at them. They quickly reached the great hall and Enyo departed saying her goodbye.

As they went to the great hall which was mostly empty as the breakfast had finished long ago, they just sat down and talked. It seemed that both Gryffindor and Slytherins were having their classes, unlike Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw who were free until the next hour.

The next three days passed too slowly for Harry. He was excited about his Gringotts visit. Hermione too shared his excitement but not as much since she didn't know what she could do there. Little did she know how important would this visit be.

The start of the day was like déjà vu for the duo. As they ate their breakfast in the hall and Enyo arrived wearing her armor. Finishing their breakfast, they left the hall but didn't go to the Room of Requirement. Rather Enyo took them to Flitwick's office where Enyo slipped a piece of parchment inside through the door.

"Can't have your head of house concerned about you, can we?" She asked rhetorically with a grin.

Enyo then led them to the main gates but not before waving her wand discreetly, cancelling many a tracking charms. She took out a piece of rope in front of them and asked them to touch it before touching it herself and saying, "Activate".

Harry felt as if someone had hooked him from the stomach and dragged him through a small hole, forcing and squeezing the life out of him. He soon found himself sprawled on the floor, Hermione in a similar position while Enyo laughed and said, "Never travelled by a portkey right? Don't worry you'll get used to it."

They stood up and found themselves in an office that Harry recognized as Houndclaw's. They took a seat when Enyo offered them and waited for Houndclaw to arrive which took about five minutes.

"Good morning Mr Potter, Ms Granger." Houndclaw said as cheerfully as a goblin could and the duo returned the greeting.

"So Mr Potter, you are in for quite a surprise today I guess. The inheritance test always is entertaining for us. And Ms Granger, I really recommend you trying it too." Houndclaw said.

"But Mr Houndclaw, I am a muggleborn. How would I be an heir to any house?" Hermione asked in a confused voice.

"Firstly it's just Houndclaw. And Ms Granger, think. I know you must have learnt genetics a little. It is our belief that all muggleborns are just people who have long forgotten squibs for ancestors. And I think you will find that today." Houndclaw gave a toothy grin.

Soon a few sheets of parchment and a ritual knife was brought in. Seeing their faces Houndclaw explained, "This is a special type of parchment that Gringotts uses for these tests. You need to put five drops of your blood on it using a ritual knife and the houses will come up by themselves."

Seeing Hermione's queasy look, Harry decided to go first. He took the knife and pricked his thumb. He let the drops of blood fall on the parchment and was surprised to see the cut he made heal by itself.

The parchment came to life as the final drop of blood fell on it. Houndclaw took it and started reading. Slowly his expression showed his own surprise.

Finally, he said, " Mr Potter you don't do things by half it seems. You have been identified as an heir to the houses Slytherin and Gryffindor alike. Also, the Slytherin house was rumoured to have roots in the Peverell house but somehow it never came on the parchment. Today it seems magic has decided for a different outcome."

"You don't gain any considerable wealth from the houses. But what you do get is invaluable knowledge. All three house vaults contain many books that are thought to be lost in time. Many rare tomes that have even rarer arts described in them." As Houndclaw said this, Hermione turned to Harry and did her best puppy dog eyes expression to date. Of course Harry couldn't resist and agreed to let her have a look at them.

Hermione, seeing the prospect of inheriting books, braced herself and pricked her finger with the knife, letting the blood fall on another parchment. Houndclaw again read it and his eyebrows rose.

"Well Ms Granger, it seems you'll be getting even more books. You have been deemed an heir of Ravenclaw house and thus inherit more books than all of Mr Potter's books combined." That did it. Hermione fainted on the spot and if it wasn't for Harry's quick reflexes, would have hurt herself.

A click of a finger from Houndclaw brought Hermione back to her senses. A squeal later, both the children asked Houndclaw to continue.

"Mr Potter, Ms Granger now we have to see how to go about your training. It's not easy to take on Albus Dumbledore, both magically and politically, without serious planning. Politics would be taken care of easily, Ms Arms would handle that. Your magical training, on the other hand, requires some testing. We have to measure how powerful you both have the potential to become and which magic would suit you two the best."

Harry and Hermione grinned at the prospect of learning more magic but were slightly nervous in case they didn't have much potential. Houndclaw then asked a goblin to bring the required material for the test which consisted of a big bowl with a swirling white liquid inside.

"Now you two will have to add a single drop of blood and we shall know all about your magic." Houndclaw instructed.

This time Hermione stepped forward first. She added the blood and slowly the liquid in the bowl started rising, its colour changing. After the liquid had stopped rising, the two children marvelled at the sight in front of them.

The liquid, white as it was, now had separated in multiple spheres of many colours. They could literally feel the magic palpable in the room. There was a dark, almost black sphere on one side. While a bigger sphere, about one and a half times the size of the black sphere, was white. There were many golden coloured spheres while small blue specks danced around. Houndclaw whispered a few words and the spheres combined slowly forming numbers.

"You see Ms Granger. The spheres represented your magic. The black sphere was the magic related to the so called dark magic while the white sphere was for the light one. The blue specks showed your higher than average affinity to defensive spells while the golden sphere meant you would have little to no difficulty learning in healing spells." Houndclaw explained. Hermione was quite happy with the result. She had always wanted to help people with their injuries. It came with having doctors for parents.

Houndclaw continued, "The number shows your magical index. It is a rather delicate charm we goblins have made to measure an individuals magic. A muggle has a magical index of zero while a squib may have an index between 0 and 50. Your average wizard has an index of about 200."

Hermione was visibly saddened at this. The sphere showed the number 170. She hated being below average but just held her emotions. Harry was quick to be at her side, saying words of comfort. Houndclaw seeing her reaction quickly explained, " Ms Granger, this is an excellent index. You are still very young and your magic is developing. On general trends, it is seen that your magical index doubles from your age to magical maturation that is seventeen years of age."

Hermione brightened at this. Her smile that came up made Harry happy too. Houndclaw waved his hand and the liquid returned to the bowl turning white again. Harry then went up to repeat the process. The liquid rose up and started to change colours.

In Harry's case, the white and black sphere were almost of the same size. There were two big red and blue spheres, and specks of grey danced around this time.

"You Mr Potter have an equal affinity for light and dark magic it seems. The red sphere shows the offensive magic affinity while the blue one as you know shows defensive magic. It is not a great surprise seeing how your parents were prodigies in their subjects. The grey specks are rare. They show a small affinity to runic magic. It is not a very well researched branch but powerful in its own right." Houndclaw explained and then spoke a few words again.

The spheres joined to show his magical index and as they formed the number, three gasps of surprise echoed through the room. A number 306 glowed brightly.

"M...Mr. Potter, you don't do things by half, do you? You are likely to go down in history with that much magic. I should probably inform you this, we at Gringotts have estimated the magical index of famous wizards. Merlin must have had an index of about 1000, the highest ever seen. The Hogwarts founders would have been in the range of 850 to 900." Houndclaw informed them, their jaws slowly dropping.

"Albus Dumbledore has a documented magical index of 618. The dark lord, we estimate, has an index of about 700." Houndclaw said.

Harry couldn't believe this. He was going to be about as powerful as Dumbledore. And he was not as much behind Voldemort. As his eyes rolled back at his head, only one thought went through his mind before he fainted.

'Why can't I be normal for once, why can't I be just Harry?'

* * *

AN: Hey readers! Its been a while I know but exams and fics don't add up well. On a better note, the bashing that follows is easier to write and much more enjoyable. Don't forget to Read and Review


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer:- The Harry Potter universe is owned by J.K. Rowling. I just play in this sandbox of hers and own just the plot of the fic.

* * *

Harry woke up to find himself on a comfortable couch, he looked up to come face to face with Enyo who was grinning at him.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Harry. I'll give you a moment to pull yourself together, it's not everyday that you find yourself to become one of the most powerful wizards alive." Enyo said to Harry, while she helped him sit up.

Hermione and Houndclaw were sitting a few feet away. He stood up, approached them and sat back down on an offered seat.

"So Mr Potter, as I was telling Ms Granger your training will not have any obstacles. You both are capable of performing all spells that will be taught to you by Ms Arms here. Now we have to discuss your safety at Hogwarts." Houndclaw said.

"Okay, I understand the need. But I want all the protections for Hermione as well. The same, if not better ones." Harry said with determination. The two kids shared a shy smile while Houndclaw and Enyo grinned knowingly. They too had once been young and could clearly see the early signs of attraction.

"Don't worry Mr Potter. We at Gringotts will do our best to arrange this. That leads us to the matter of your Lordships, will you accept the duties of your houses?" Houndclaw asked.

Harry was prepared for this. He had thought a lot on this matter and had finally decided. "Houndclaw, I accept." He said. Houndclaw turned to Hermione who, though feeling a little clueless, nodded her acceptance, trusting Harry's judgement. Houndclaw nodded and signalled to another goblin.

Soon the house rings were brought in and kept in front of them. "Now, you have to wear these rings on the forefinger of your right hand. The rings will resize accordingly and will merge with the other rings in your case Mr Potter."

Both the eleven-year-olds took a ring in their hands, Hermione taking her Ravenclaw one while Harry started with the Potter ring. They put the rings as instructed and a flash of light showed the acceptance of magic. Harry repeated this thrice more for his other houses.

"Now that this matter has been taken care of our job has been significantly reduced. No politically informed person would ever attack you without very careful planning. Of course, if you wish to keep your inheritance a secret we have to do something else." Houndclaw said and on getting their nods continued, "Mr Potter it is common knowledge of your being able to inherit the Potter house seat, so I recommend not hiding that. Your rings can hide with a thought so that will not pose a problem. What you should do is declare Ms Granger as your protectorate. She will have the same protection as a member of the Potter house."

Harry glanced at Hermione, the question in his look. Hermione nodded, Harry smiled at that and said, "Okay Houndclaw we'll do that."

"Excellent now we have to identify your magical talents," Houndclaw said but Hermione interrupted.

"Sorry, but didn't we just do that? I mean the coloured spheres showed us our affinities right?"

"You misunderstand me, Ms Granger. What we checked earlier were your magical affinities. When you have a magical affinity for a particular area of magic you pick it up instinctively and can learn it easier compared to someone who doesn't have the affinity to that area. On the other hand, magical talents are the innate abilities that you may have. These are of numerous types, each with various levels of power. This process is longer and more difficult since we have to observe the abilities manually." Houndclaw explained patiently.

He took out a book and led them to a couch, while explaining, "This book has all the known abilities listed in them along with the usual common signs that we use to identify them. You can sit here and try all the signs you identify with."

It took almost an hour for the duo to go through the book. The most that they could deduce was that Harry was a metamorphmagus. When they asked Houndclaw why they had only one ability between the two of them he told them, "You are still young, give it some time. Magical abilities surface at all ages so we'll let you check again after a couple of years." Both the children brightened at this prospect.

After having a discussion regarding their training, the trio left, having decided to rest for the rest of the day. Houndclaw though had the foresight to provide Hermione with a warded charm necklace to keep her safe from Legilimency attacks.

* * *

Enyo took them back to just outside the Hogwarts wards with another portkey. They had spent almost five hours in Gringotts and it was nearly lunchtime. Enyo bid them goodbye, telling them to be ready at 9 the next day.

As the two eleven-year-olds entered the Great Hall, they saw that most of the staff was already there. When Flitwick caught their eyes, he gave them a smile and a wink, which they returned.

Lunch was a quiet affair. After their meal, Harry and Hermione, left for their common room, feeling a little tired after the trip to Gringotts.

They stood in front of the door as the knocker asked, "What will you find at the end of time?"

Before Hermione could even open her mouth, Harry jumped up.

"E, the letter e." He quipped before starting to giggle like a 5-year-old.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and went inside the common room. As Harry followed her the door slammed shut behind him, making him jump in the air from shock.

If doors could be smug, he was sure the knocker would be just that.

They found a quiet corner and sat on a couch falling into a companionable silence as they thought about the day's events. They both were now considered the nobles in the eyes of the purebloods and had enough political power between the both of them to become a force to be reckoned with.

* * *

The next morning, they felt as if time passed too slow as they once again waited for Enyo at the house table. They had long since finished their breakfasts. Luckily Enyo soon arrived and put them out of their misery.

The trio headed towards the moving stairs and went to the seventh floor, while Enyo removed tracking charms from them both. By the time they were on the fourth floor all the charms were removed so Dumbledore couldn't find them in the Room of Requirement.

Soon they were standing in front of the Troll Tapestry. Enyo walked across it thrice and the kids couldn't help but gape as they saw the what the room had changed into.

There were mechanic figures in the shape of scarecrows all of which held wands. There was a whole shelf filled with books that Hermione immediately ran to browse.

Harry roamed around the room to observe the dummies. Once both of them had seen all they wanted, they joined Enyo on the couch that sat in the corner.

"So, listen you two. You are going to learn mostly practical forms of magic here, I expect you to read the theory thoroughly before we meet. This way we save time" Enyo said seriously.

Both kids nodded in agreement at that. "First of all, we will work on duelling since starting it this early will form a good habit and help your magic the most. Side by side we'll slowly work for Potions. That would be a lot easier if we would go through it the way I have learnt it than the way it is taught at Hogwarts. I expect that we might finish your Potions OWL syllabus by the time of your second year's end or third year's start." Enyo continued.

Harry and Hermione were both shocked, to say the least. They both mirrored each other's thoughts, why would Hogwarts teach in a mediocre way if such a method existed. It was supposed to be a premier institute.

"Also I'll provide you with some books on the protocol to be followed by the head of houses and on politics. It would do you much good." Enyo informed them before standing up and saying with a small smirk, "Let's play shall we."

They went to a lone machine which had an ample space around it. Not being able to control his curiosity, Harry asked excitedly "Are we going to fight this?"

Enyo laughed and said, "No Harry, not yet. You both need to learn the best way to win a duel first. And that is dodging, this way you tire your enemy and this training dummy will also help you improve your stamina. So who goes first?"

Harry and Hermione did a quick rock, paper, scissors to decide this. Harry won and thus went first. He stood 10 feet away from the dummy and nodded at Enyo who tapped the head of the dummy with her wand to activate it. She then quickly jumped back and gestured Hermione to do the same.

Harry readied himself as he saw a bright orange spell shoot towards him. He jerked his body to his right and the spell missed him by a few inches, another spell came whizzing towards him and he dropped low to the ground to avoid it.

'This isn't bad,' he thought. 'This is just like avoiding Dudley's punches.'

He had been dodging the spells for half a minute before two spells were shot together, surprising him. He was almost hit as one of the spells grazed his head.

'Alright, Piers has also joined in to help Dudley. I have to be more careful.'

After another full minute, Harry dived to dodge a spell and came right into the path of another. It hit his leg and Harry felt a sharp pain and yelped.

"Ouch, the spells actually hurt?" He asked Enyo.

Enyo scoffed and said while grinning., "Of course they hurt. That's your motivation kid. Now let Hermione try it."

As Hermione took her position and started dodging. It was clear that she was tiring fast. She lasted 30 seconds before she too was hit.

"Well done you two. You both did way better than I expected. We may just move our schedule ahead." Enyo said and applauded for them.

They continued this for another half an hour before Hermione was so tired that she almost had to be dragged to the couch to rest.

Enyo told them that it was enough for their first day and promised them that she would have their reading material ready the next time

Both the children waved Enyo goodbye before they left for their common room. They had assignments to complete that even Hermione had forgotten about due to the excitement of the first lesson. They sat at a table near their house library and started working on them.

At lunch, the kids were joined by Susan and Hannah, they were having a great chat when they were disturbed.

Ron Weasley had tried all week to befriend Harry. He had even told Harry that he could share the chocolate frog that he had hidden from his brothers earlier. But no matter what he said he was always brushed off. even though he thought that lunch wasn't a great time to do anything besides eating, he walked towards Harry and sat down next to him. The fact that he pushed Hermione away so he could sit down didn't go unnoticed by Harry.

"So Harry since you had to settle with nerds and losers as friends, maybe we could…" Ron couldn't complete what he was going to say as his face got acquainted with Harry's fist.

"Weasley last warning! The next time it will be my wand that does the talking." Harry said angrily.

Having seen the commotion, McGonagall reached the scene swiftly and asked in her feared strict tone. "Mr Potter, what is the meaning of this?"

"Ask Weasley, ma'am. He had done nothing but irritate me since we've been here at Hogwarts. I can tolerate that. But he pushed Hermione away and nobody hurts my friends" Harry said defiantly.

McGonagall was in a dilemma. Here was a child who had hit another but his intentions were pure and fitting for someone of her house.

"Mr Potter whatever Mr Weasley had done could have been reported. I commend you for your thoughts but you must consider the rules before taking action. So I must take 5 points from Ravenclaw." McGonagall said neutrally, expecting Harry to give an outburst. But Harry just nodded in acceptance and said a quick apology. She continued, "And as for Mr Weasley, I believe you have learnt your lesson so I will let the matter go this time. I would not like a repeat of such an incidence, am I clear?" Ron just groaned in pain which McGonagall took as his acceptance.

As McGonagall went back to the staff table all she could think was, 'That boy may look like James, but he is all Lily on the inside.'

* * *

AN: I sincerely apologize for the unexpected hiatus. This will not happen again, cross my heart and hope to die.

I thank Pridia for beta-ing this chapter. She was very helpful pointing out my numerous mistakes. R and R.

Update: Fixed McGonagall's dialogue of letting Ron get away scot-free. Thanks Deathmvp.


End file.
